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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: vault · ruler · leaves · wind · firm · ground

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. ground — a position
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. wind — moving air
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ground — crushed
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — decided
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ground — the earth
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. vault — a safe
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. firm — a company
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. vault — in gymnastics

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com